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Iowa Knight Life

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We are the Knights of Columbus of Iowa. This is our story. The story we can tell best. Men of Catholic faith, performing good works informed by faith. The story of Iowa Knights reaching out to each other as brothers and to the less fortunate making a difference in that small part of the world God has entrusted to us.

We are a family friendly fraternal organization dedicated to helping men, women, children and unborn children. We want to tell you of our activities, our goals and our inspiration. In turn we hope to inspire you the listener to join us in Serving God's people to build up a Culture of Life and of Love.

If you know of a Knight helping others we want to hear about it and so do our listeners! Have an idea for an interview? Email publicity@iowakofc.org

Our mission is to Inform -- Inspire -- Invite using audio media on radio and the internet.

I agree that making the huddle recordings accessible to leadership is a good thing, but I am convinced that to have the recording up on the totally public Iowa Knight Life website is counterproductive to the efforts of the Knights of Columbus because the discussions are semi-private and, because the recordings can be taken out of context by people not "in the know," could be counterproductive to the goals of the Iowa Knights of Columbus. I strongly suggest putting huddle recordings in a private area, as I suggested in my initial post on this issue. The private area would be accessible to Iowa Knights of Columbus leadership and, if both the huddles and the recordings are not meant just for District Deputies and State leadership, they should be retitled simply "huddles." I have to say that when the huddle was publicized on the website, I wondered if anyone could sign in and participate given that the gotomeeting weblink was published right on the totally publicly accessible IowaKofC.org website.

I like the huddles, I like them via the web (as long as audio quality is sufficient, which it seemed to be in this huddle), I like openness as much as possible, but there are limits to what should and should not be posted for all the world to see and hear. Please listen to this huddle from the point of view of a person who is not a member of the Knights of Columbus and who knows almost nothing about our wonderful organization--the recording gives the impression of a group of negative, downbeat, disorganized persons who are confused about what should be done to make the organization work. Unfortunately, that impression would be absolutely incorrect given the strong organizational structure of the Order at all levels and the hard and positive work being done by members at all levels. There's no need to air all dirty laundry for all the world to see when that laundry is out of context.

So who should have access to this podcast? State leadership and DD's and DW's for sure, but I agree with Jim that this could include GK's and DGK's; I would add financial secretaries.

You both have good points, but I recommend that we err on the side of openness. Government bodies have open meeting laws that require public disclosure, we can at the very least do the same. We have nothing to hide. And there are nuggets of discussions that really provide insight to our members if they are interested enough to spend an hour of their time on "meh" for 30 seconds of "wow."

I'm thinking that we ask our WSD to post it on a page that requires logging in to the website. At least we can validate the that reader is at least a bonafide friend of the knights.

As a Deputy Grand Knight I learned from this recording. My council is served by a very competent DD but it would be difficult for him to share all that this huddle contained that might pertain to my council or to me in my council position. So, I'm in favor of keeping these recordings available to a wider audience than the DD, DW or state leadership positions. I suggest that people who participate in such events are reminded to keep anything that my be private kept offline and handled through another forum. It seems a recurring trend throughout the organization is difficulty in finding and nurturing council leaders. Many of the comments in this huddle mentioned that. I intend to be an effective GK and it's incumbent on me to do what I can to learn that position before I get there, not after. So please keep the "training" for council leaders coming; even if it's in the form of recording like this.

I am not convinced that having http://iowaknightlife.org/huddle-dd-online-15may28/ in public on the Iowa Knight Life page makes sense; this seems to be information that is only of interest--and only should be accessible--to District Deputies and District Wardens and State leadership. It seems to me that some of the discussions move toward the private realm. It seems to me that this podcast would be better placed in the District Deputy group (http://iowakofc.org/group/district-deputy-s-material). For internal discussions and information dissemination, the electronic (gotomeeting) huddle is GREAT, and having access to the podcast is a fantastic resource for DD's and DW's and State leadership but not for the public beyond that group.

The Worthy State Deputy has sent out a request for comments here about "how you as a Knight honor Mary our heavenly Mother." I am happy respond because I have come over time to learn how much of a mother our blessed Lady is. She is my mother--and the Mother of all --in the fullest sense of the Word since she is totally with us and for us, Body and Soul, Assumed into Heaven, at all times. When I need solace, I can turn to my mother on earth, a wonderful woman, but I also turn to our blessed Mother, who is eternally and intimately close to her Son, my Lord and, as such, is at one with Him in His work to bring my soul and all souls in a close, loving, communal relationship with our heavenly Father through the power of the Holy Spirit.

It was my honor this morning to lead the glorious mysteries of the Rosary in Saint Benedict's parish prior to the 10 am offering of the holy Sacrifice of the Mass. My heavenly Mother is worthy of honor. By virtue of my baptism, I have been incorporated into the Body of Christ and, as such, am in Communion with Christ--that is, I *am* Christ--as long as I do not commit mortal sin. Since I am part of Jesus' mystical Body, Saint Mary is my mother, too. "Keep the commandments" (from today's Gospel reading). "Honor your mother" is one of those commandments. And what better way to honor the most wonderful Mother the world has ever known but to pray her Rosary with the congregation before her Eucharistic Son in the tabernacle. What a privilege it is to honor the only two people who have ever walked this earth in the absence of sin.

As a lay person, I cannot consecrate the Eucharist; I do not have that power. But I can offer extra prayer, especially the holy Rosary, and in the presence of my brothers and sisters in Christ and in solidarity with those who wish and pray to be closer to God.

May the Lord bless us and keep us and shine His face upon us. May the blessed Virgin Mary (our Immaculate heavenly Mother) pray for us. And may our guardian angels watch over us. Today and always we pray, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.